


here, cuddle this instead

by Stabbsworth



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Concussions, Flower Crowns, Gen, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:27:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stabbsworth/pseuds/Stabbsworth
Summary: Willow gives a concussed Wilson a teddy bear. Her teddy bear, to be exact.
Comments: 29
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

There's a small, confused noise from Wilson when she gingerly sneaks Bernie next to him, before he looks up at her, blearily blinking to clear away some of the rheum on his eyelashes.

Willow shushes him. "You can have Bernie for tonight, okay?"

There's some sort of jumbled mess of words, a few things aren't working properly right now, and speaking was evidently one of them.

"No, no, I've got Ashley with me, see?" She produces the cat plushie from the pockets of her nightie. "I'll be okay."

Wilson must have figured out that he wasn't good at talking right now, because the next thing he does is properly sit up, hissing a bit in pain and stretching his arms out to do the grabby hands.

It takes her a moment to figure out that he wants a hug.

"C'mere, y'big dummy." She raises her arms and wraps them around him. His response is to honk quietly in that raspy tone of someone that had just woken up from a long sleep, and to hug back.

He nuzzles into her with a contented mumble, and rests his head on her shoulder.

It takes her a long while to realize that he's gone back to sleep while hugging her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A change of bandages is needed.

Wilson hissed slightly as the haphazardly-done wrappings fell away, revealing a fairly nasty head wound and a closed eye.

Wickerbottom frowned in moderate concern. "I just need to rewrap this, dear. It won't take two ticks."

The scientist squinted at her with a glazed eye, before attempting to open his right one and grumbling to himself. The light from the campfire evidently gave him some discomfort. He wasn't looking at it much.

Hell, he'd complained a bit when Wolfgang carried him out of the tent, although he wasn't really protesting as much as he usually would when being picked up.

The librarian shifted, setting to work in getting the required salve and poultice.

"This should do nicely. I'm going to need to turn on a lantern for this, Wilson. Watch your eyes."

There was a brief flinch from the man when she turned the lantern on, he looked at it for a moment, before trying to ignore it, staring into the darker recesses of the caverns they'd set up in for the summer.

"...This will sting a little."

Wilson was fully aware of that, but it felt more polite to give a heads-up, just in case.

He hissed as the salve was applied, a twinge of pain coursing from that area. And it stung.

"Finished now."

She was pleased to note that it went smoothly enough, considering he had the sense, even while half out of his mind, to not start scratching at it.

Wickerbottom gingerly applied the poultice -- to keep it from getting infected. It would eventually need to be changed again, but it should have substantially healed by then.

He knew there was no real need to wrap the area, but he requested it regardless, citing that he didn't want to scratch at it and peel the poultice off should he be less lucid.

She helped him with it, advising him to go back to his tent for a little while.

Wilson rarely was one for agreeing to sleep, but, for once, he went with it, shuffling back towards his tent and easing himself down.

This felt better. Cleaner, at the very least.


	3. the power of flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A garland is offered.

"Mister Higgsbury?"

He could tell by the pitch of the voice that it was Wendy standing in front of his tent.

Wilson rolled over and got up into a sitting position so that he could at least face her properly, somewhat.

"...Ms. Wickerbottom was wondering if you'd like to come outside."

"...Nnno. Not really."

She had her arms behind her back. He inclined his head a little, careful not to upset the headache any more than it already had been.

"...Perhaps not, then. Could you close your eyes for just a moment?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, before doing as asked.

Something plopped onto his head, he could feel a disturbance in his hair, and he near-immediately opened his eyes again and reached up.

Petals.

A garland?

Oh, that sneaky kid.

How did she manage to find the flowers?

He sleepily looked at her as she went back to the entrance of the tent.

"Abigail helped me make it."

"...'s nice of her. Thanks you."

She left after lingering for a moment, almost sauntering away.

Wilson, while rarely able to understand her and her more… poetic way of speaking, still enjoyed her presence, at the very least.

He gingerly took the crown of flowers off, and set it next to his bedroll, shifting and laying down again.

Sleep would be marred with the scent of flowers. A little bit nicer, if fleeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like writing these two interacting.  
> this is not ship and never will be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's cuddle time.

He'd shut his eyes for a moment in Wolfgang's arms, leaving a somewhat confused strongman to hold him.

Wolfgang gingerly lifted him into the air to check for any obvious injuries (other than the head wound, which was healing nicely, or so Wickerbottom had said).

Wilson flailed around in his much sleepier state a bit to find something to latch onto, looking a bit more than discontented when he couldn't find anything.

He wisely held Wilson nearer to his chest, to which the scientist responded by opening an eye, a little bit confused, judging by his expression, before clinging onto him.

Evidently, his friend must have been tired. He didn't usually flail around like that unless he was looking for something to cling onto. (Or if he was scrambling away from a beast, but there were no beasts to be found here.)

"Little egghead man tired?"

A somewhat squeaky yawn was the reply, and all he needed while Wilson looked up at him, tears brimming the outer edges of his eyes from the force of the yawn.

"Ah, is bedtime for egg."

The scientist rested his head on the strongman's chest, seeming a little more contented with his current situation as Wolfgang got himself up and ducked into Wilson's tent.

At that point, Wilson was barely awake, breaths evening out as he made himself comfortable.

Wolfgang would stay here until the smaller man woke up. For comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM YEARNING


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RSD is a bitch.

Winona is less than amused when she finds a particularly messy head of hair in one of the chests. She was looking for gears, not… black, scruffy and had a distinct shape to it. Must be Wilson.

She gently pokes him once, twice, to see if she'll get a coherent response.

"Hey, egghead. Rise and shine."

There was a few bits of quiet, garbled mumbles, before he tilted his head up to look at her, blinking blearily.

Wilson sleeping in a chest would probably explain some of the disorganization of the neighbouring chests. She wasn't too sure why he'd want to sleep in there.

Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Why were you sleeping in there, huh?"

His voice was marred by sleep, as expected for someone that was just woken up.

"Camp was too loud. Headache." A half-hearted shrug. "Looked comfortable."

"Y'could've suffocated."

Wilson remained silent at that, averting his eyes and curling up a bit tighter.

"Hey, howzabout I build you a chest that's properly ventilated?"

"Whuh-- what's the catch?" There are times when he's distrustful, paranoia scratching at the seams of his sanity. This isn't entirely one of those times.

It was more towards the times where he'd be afraid of being scolded.

"Quit sleeping in the dang chests."

The scientist gives a nervous noise, before curling up tighter still. She'd forgotten about the rejection sensitivity thing, an easy beast to set off into growling and yowling and scratching. Much easier when he's like this. Wickerbottom said it was a concussion.

They're both quite blunt at times, which rarely helped in these matters.

"Do you wanna hug?"

It takes him a moment to respond while he wipes at his eyes, apparently distracted by the offer of a hug. Physical contact was something that he definitely liked, at times.

He nodded afterwards, carefully.

She hooked her arms under his shoulders, an action that the both of them were used to. It still amused her how she could easily pick him up. He struggled with picking her up, personally, but that wasn't entirely his fault. He could still do it, even if it was for a short amount of time.

Wilson definitely seemed to be enjoying this, previous emotional shenanigans all but forgotten. Hell, he looked happy enough.

Winona hauled him nearer to the main part of camp, and set him down near to the reverse fire. The endothermic fire. Cold fire.

Much less likely to overheat, that way.

She seated herself next to him, and wrapped an arm around the scientist. He reciprocated, settling down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> local man gave himself RSD while writing this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walani and Wilson take a nap.

"You taking a nap, lil' dude?"

He'd been woken up by someone nudging him with their foot.

There was a discontented noise in response, before he straightened himself out and stretched his legs.

"My defense, I was tired at the time." A slight pause, as he looked around. "...Mmmm. I keep falling asleep."

"Want me to nap with you?"

"...If you wish. Wouldn't this b-be better done in a… in a tent?"

"Eh, nah, we have straw rolls."

Wilson inclined his head a little, before seeming to get what she said. Walani opened one of the chests to grab the required grass.

She gave some of it to Wilson, about 9 in total. He blinked a bit, then slowly set about weaving the rope, then the roll itself.

It came out decently enough.

He placed his down, and Walani did the same, placing her straw roll a couple of feet away.

Wilson laid on his side, as he tended to do, and Walani laid on her back.


End file.
